Air conditioner



June 29, 1937, wHlTE 2,085,244

AIR CONDITIONER Filed July 50. 1934 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 29,1937 UNI ED STATES Am CONDITIONER Harry B. White, Canton, Ohio, assignorto The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of OhioApplication July 30, 1934!,Serial No. 737,480

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to air conditioning in general andparticularly to a new and improved odor-dispensing or air-conditioningunit for a suction cleaner. More specifically the invention comprises animproved air-conditioning unit adapted to be secured to a suctioncleaner that air moved by the suction cleaner may pass through the unitto volatilize a medium carried therein.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedodor-dispensing unit for a suction cleaner. It is a further objectto'provide a new and improved air-conditioning unit adapted to besecured to the suction cleanerand to direct a flow of air over avolatile medium.

Still another object is the provision of an airconditioning unitcomprising a casing adapted to be secured to the exhaust outlet of asuction. cleaner and provided with means to support volatile crystalsand to direct air through these crystals. A still further object is theprovision of a simplified air-conditioning unit comprising a crystalcontainer in which thevolatile element is so positioned that the airpassing through the unit volatilizes an increased amount of the volatilemedium. A still further object is the provision of an odor-dispensingunit adapted to contain volatile crystals which are easily replenished,which crystals are supported in a new and novel manner in the unit sothat air moving through the unit functions with maximum eficiency tovolatilize those crystals. These and other more specific objects willappear upon reading the following specification and claims and uponconsidering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which theyrelate.

In the drawing in which a preferred embodimerit of the invention isdisclosed:

Figure l is a side view otsa modern suction cleaner with the unitconstructed in accordance with the present invention attached. thereto;

Figure 2 is a view of the cleaner end of the unit; l

3 is a section upon the line 8-43 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlargement of aportlon of the section shown in Figure 3and shows the door-' locking relationship;

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the unit per so se with the dooropen to receive fresh volatile material. 7

Referring now to the drawing in which a. preferred embodiment of thepresent invention is disclosed a-modern suction cleaner comprising anozzle l, a fan chamber 2, an exhaust outlet vided by which the operatormay exert a (Cl. 21l27 3, and a motor casing 4, is disclosed. An unshowndriving motor is positioned within the casing t and its extended shaft 5passes through I the fan chamber 2, where it carries a suctioncreatingfan 6, and is provided at its lower end 5 with a. pulley i. In normalon-the-fioor operation the fan chamber 2 is connected to the nozzle l bymeans of a pulley cover plate 8 which, however, is shown removed fromthe cleaner in Fig. ure 1. With the cover plate 8 in place air is 10drawn through the nozzle I, and into the fan chamber 2 to be exhaustedthrough the exhaust outlet 3 into a suitable dust hag 9, which is showndetached. A surface covering agitator, indicated generally by thereference character IE3, is positioned within the nozzle l and isconnected to the driving pulley I by a power-transmitting belt H so thatupon rotation of the motor shaft I theagitator rotates in contactwithrthe surface covering under the nozzle to disturb and dislodgeforeign matter embodied therein. The cleaner is movably supported uponfront and rear wheels, indicated by the reference characters l2 and I3,and a pivoted handle M is propropelling force in using the cleaner inon-thefloor cleaning. 7

The operator of the cleaner desiring, for any of a number of reasons, totreat the air in a room or within a given space, the air condition- 0ing unit constructed in accordance with the present invention isconnected to the cleaner. The unit, indicated generally by the referencecharactor I5, is adapted to be secured to the exhaust outlet of thecleaner so that air exhausted by the suction-creating tan may passtherethrough and contact a volatile medium contained therein. In orderthat the cleaner may work with maximum effectiveness the cover plate 8is removed permitting a free flow 01 air into the an 40 chamber from theexterior atmosphere, and at the same time the power-transmitting belt His disconnected from the driving pulley l therebytalring from the motora load which is entirely unnecessary in the use contemplated 4 Theair-conditioning unit II constructed in accordance with the presentinvention comprises a cylindrical body having an integral foraminous endIt. .I'he opposite end of the cylinder is,

defined by an enlarged rim I! which is adapted to contact and seal:against the flanged end of exhaust outlet 3. The upper half of this endof the unit is covered by a door I! which is pivoted on pin 18 extendingon a diameter 01' the cylinder. Door I8 is adapted to-be pivoted toanopen position, as shown in Figure 5, to permit entry into the interiorof the container. A pivoted latch member 20 is carried by door l9 and isadapted to be moved into a grooved seat 2| formed in rim H to lock plate19 in closed position. A

raised convex protuberance 22 on door i9" is adapted to seat in anindented seat 23 in latch 20 to prevent unintended displacement of thelatch from its door-locking position.

Within container I5 is a perforated fiat bame plate 25. Plate 25 extendsupon a diameter. of cylinder ii) at the pivot pin it of door wand slopesfrom that diameter at an acute angle to the major axis of the cylinder,in the direction of the length of the cylinder, to the periphery of thecylinder adjacent the end is, as is illustrated in Figure 3. Plate 25 issolid for a part of its length immediately adjacent pivot pin l8 but isperforated from this closed area to its opposite end. Thisrelationshipis clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. The baiiie plate is adapted tosupport the volatile crystals positioned in the container, and, beingperforated, permits an air stream to pass upwardly therethrough.

The odorizer unit is adapted, as previously described, to be secured tothe exhaust outlet of the cleaner. For this purpose slotted fiangesorears 2B, 26 are secured to the exterior of the container at its cleanerend. These ears are adapted to overlie the manually-operablebag-securing clamps, one of which is indicated in Figure 1 by thereference character 21, carried by the flanged end of cleaner exhaustoutlet 3.

In operation as the air is forced from the exhaust outlet of the cleanerit enters the odorizer unit through the mouth formed below the plate ordoor 19. The only exit for the air is through the perforations ofsloping plate 25 which supports a supply of volatile crystals 28, asindicated in Figure 1. These crystals under the force of gravity tend toslide to the pocket formed by the plate and the adjacent end Wall l6. Asthe air passes through the platethe crystals are blown in all directionsby the force of the moving air, but under force of gravity again returnto the plate to be repeatedly driven upwardly, the air stream passingfrom the container by way of the perforated end plate IS. The constantactivation of the crystals by the air stream results in rapiddeterioration and volatilization through presenting at all times amaximum of surfaces. Additionally is the factor of crystal fragmentationthrough forceful contact with the metallic walls.

When it is only desired to condition a, particular room the odorizingunit alone is connected to the exhaust outlet of the cleaner and the airupon passing through the unit is exhausted directly into the atmosphereof the room. In the event, however, it is desired to direct the vaporfrom the volatile medium directly into contact with articles offurniture etc. for the purpose of moth-proofing, a dusting tool hose isconnected.

to the unit. To accommodate this function the unit is provided withmanually operable clamping lugs 29, 2!.atits outer end which are spacedand positioned so as to receive the connector 30 of a dusting toolhose31' of a-type adapted normally to be secured directly to the exhaustoutlet 3 in the use of the cleaner as an off-the-floor blowing unit.With the dusting tools connected to the unit thefunctional operationthereof is identical with that previously described with the exceptionthat the air upon passing from-the unit through the perforated plate Itpasses directly transverse into the dusting tool connector 30 andthrough the dusting tool hose 3| to be directed into the desired pointof application.

I claim:

1. An air-conditioning unit for a suction cleaner comprising acylindrical container, means on said container adapted to secure saidcontainer to an air conduit of a suction cleaner, a transverse slopingperforated plate extended across said container and making an acuteangle with the axis thereof, said container being formed with airpassageways at the opposite ends of said plate one above and one belowsaid plate and which are therefore upon the opposite sides thereof sothat air passing thru said container must pass thru said plate.

2. In an air-conditioning unit for a suction cleaner, 2. containerforming a chamber having impervious side walls, means to secure saidcontainer to an air conduit of a. suction cleaner, a

' sloping perforated plate extending the length of said chamber, saidcontainer being formed with air passageways at the opposite ends 4 ofsaid plate, the exhaust passageway being above said plate and the intakepassageway being below so that air passing through said chamber mustpass upwardly through said plate.

3. In an air-conditioning unit for a suction cleaner, 2. containerforming a chamber having impervious side walls, means to secure saidcontainer to an exhaust outlet conduit of a suction cleaner, atransverse perforated plate extending the length of said chamber and atan acute angle with the direction of airflow through said container,said container being formed with air passageways at the opposite ends ofsaid plate, the intake passageway at the end of said plate adjacent saidsecuring means being below said plate and the exhaust passageway at theopposite end of said plate being thereabove in order that air passingthrough said chamber will pass upwardly through said plate.

4. An air-conditioning unit for a suction cleaner comprising a containerforming achamber with impervious side walls and having an inlet end andan outlet end, a transverse perforated plate extended the length of saidchamber and sloping relative to the axis of said container, the inletend of said container being provided with an air passageway openingbelow said plate, the outlet end of said container being provided withan air passageway opening above said plate, and means to connect saidcontainer to a source of air flow. 4

5. The construction recited by thepreceding claim characterized in thata removable impervious door closes the inlet end ofsaid chamber abovesaid perforated late and permits of the replenishment of the volatilemedium carried by said plate.

6. In an air-conditioning unit for a suction cleaner, a horizontalcontainer forming a chamber having impervious side walls, means tosecure said container to an exhaust outlet conduit of a suction cleaner,a transverse perforated plate extending across said container andsloping at an acute angle with the horizontal, said container beingformed with air passageways at the opposite ends of said plate one aboveand one below said plate, the passageway above said plate including aperforated wall. which cooperates with said plate to form a volatileelement storage space.

. HARRY B.

